Bodega Monte Real

Suavia

Monte Carbonare Garganega 2023

Peach citrus upfront with a nice mineral finish — 19 days ago

Monte Xanic

Gran Ricardo Valle de Guadalupe Red Blend 2022

Hugo’s menu, GM recommended. Soft, delicate. Light on the tongue, hints of tart fruit. — 2 months ago

Ridge Vineyards

Monte Bello Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon Blend 2012

1000th wine by delectable 🥳. Controlled power...deep flavours that are starting to integrate nicely. Have wanted to try this for a long time and wasnt let down. Heres to the next 1000 🥂 — 3 months ago

Somm, Austin and 16 others liked this
Anthony De Blasi

Anthony De Blasi

Congratulations! I just bought the Petit Sirah and Pagani Ranch 🤩

Louis M. Martini

Monte Rosso Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon 2020

Oak, chocolate, and leather. Big, rich, and full. — 5 months ago

Bodegas Vinicola Real

200 Monges Reserva Rioja Tempranillo Blend 2014

Under the radar to many, yet supreme winemaking here. Mostly dark fruit, picota cherries, plums, blackberries, ample bodied and length in a difficult year. Ageing gracefully. A star — 5 months ago

Romano Dal Forno

Vigneto Monte Lodoletta Valpolicella Superiore Corvina Blend 2013

Presented double-blind at Tasting Group. The wine pours a deep garnet color with a near opaque core; medium+ viscosity with moderate staining of the tears and no obvious signs of sediment. On the nose, the wine is developing with powerful notes of ripe and some dried fruits: bramble berries, slightly stewed black cherry, dried herbs, stony earth, baking spices. On the palate, the wine is dry with medium+ tannin and medium acid. Confirming the notes from the nose. The finish is long. The alcohol is high.

Initial conclusions: this could be a Grenache-based blend, Corvina-based blend or Sangiovese-based blend from France or Italy. I felt the combination of slightly stewed cherry and spices ruled out what I would want from a Sangiovese blend. Which, left me to decide between Southern Rhône or Valpolicella. I liked this wine…the oak treatment was interesting. I was getting a French barrique. Hmmm…

So, for my final conclusion: I’m calling this a Grenache-based blend, from France, from Southern Rhône, from Chateauneuf-du-Pape, 2017, from a more modern leaning producer using a good portion of barrique. I’ll be damned! I don’t hate my call but I gotta get better at distinguishing these wines from Southern Rhône. I probably just need to drink more of both, lol. Tasty stuff! Drink now through 2039.
— 6 months ago

Mark, Douglas and 6 others liked this
Zach D

Zach D

That’s a super tough blind tasting. Good deductive reasoning. Cheers

Jiménez-Landi

Las Uvas de la Ira Vino del Pueblo El Real de San Vincente Garnacha 2022

Spicy sweet no wood tasty. - at Guille’s — a month ago

Lyle, Tom and 2 others liked this
Tom Casagrande

Tom Casagrande Influencer Badge

Love Garanachas from Gredos!
Tom Casagrande

Tom Casagrande Influencer Badge

Garnachas.

Ridge Vineyards

Estate Monte Bello Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon Blend 2019

Second & last of my bottles. Wonderful, while ready to drink still has plenty of years ahead of it. — 3 months ago

Monte Degli Angeli

Collezione del Barone Piemonte Pinot Noir

I remembering enjoying it a lot! — 3 months ago

Ridge Vineyards

Monte Bello Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon 1997

One of my absolute favorite California wines. The California Latour. ‘97 is superb—vividly detailed and complex with both power and elegance. A masterful balance of fruit, tertiary character and cooling acidity with a silky palate and melting tannins. Hard to beat for a Wagyu pairing. — 4 months ago

Paul, Tom and 6 others liked this

Bodegas Riojanas

Monte Real Reserva Rioja Tempranillo 2016

Buen rioja, aunque no creo que esta cosecha nos de esta textura y bouquet. — 6 months ago

Ridge Vineyards

Estate Monte Bello Vineyard Chardonnay 2023

Bought at Pine Orchard 11/25 $70 after tasting at Ridge in 10/25. Less expensive here. The 2023 is rated at 100 pts. Absolutely delicious. Floral aromas, lightly crisp, subtle oak, smooth finish. — 6 months ago

Bodegas Riojanas

Monte Real Gran Reserva Rioja Tempranillo 2005

Cedar, fruit in the background, coconut?. Mature and delicious — 7 months ago

Viña Real (CVNE)

Reserva Rioja Tempranillo 2019

True Rioja flavor. 2019 vintage. Not too much oak. Beautiful black fruits — 8 months ago

Viña Real (CVNE)

Crianza Rioja Tempranillo Blend 2021

2021 vintage.
90 % Tempranillo with remaining 10 % Graciano, Garnacha and Mazuelo.
Grapes from south facing slopes in Rioja Alavesa sub zone.
Red berries…cherry and blackberries with vanilla, tobacco and cedar,
Fresh and lively acidity.
Produced by CVNE.
Compania Vinocola del Norte de Españia.
This is a very food friendly wine.
— 2 months ago

Joel and Tom liked this

Viña Real (CVNE)

Gran Reserva Rioja Tempranillo Blend 2017

Medium deep ruby with quite a thin lightly garnet rim. Spiced dark cherry , with some sweet blackberry , raspberry , vanilla , cocoa , earthy leather and grafite . Quite young , dense and compacted on the nose. On the palate this quite intense with quite high acidity , slightly strict with lightly gritty tannins , cherry , blackberry , spiced raspberry , some touches of grafite , dried spices and leather . This is quite young , needs a little more time but is promising with good density , freshness and balance . Come back in 3-4 years and will drink well over the next 10-15 — 2 months ago

Scott@Mister, Somm and 5 others liked this

Speri

Monte Sant'Urbano Amarone della Valpolicella Classico Corvina Blend 2020

Sant’Urbano, Amarone della Valpolicella Classico 2020, Veneto, Italy 🇮🇹

Overview
Produced by Speri in the historic hills of Valpolicella Classico, the Sant’Urbano Amarone is one of the estate’s flagship wines and a benchmark expression of the style. Crafted from the traditional Amarone blend, primarily Corvina, Corvinone, and Rondinella, the grapes undergo the classic appassimento drying process for several months before fermentation, concentrating flavors and structure. The 2020 vintage shows remarkable balance between richness and freshness, delivering depth while maintaining precision and lift.

Aromas & Flavors
Subtle yet expressive layers of dried raisin, marmalade, and dark fruit compote emerge alongside notes of ripe cherry, fig, and delicate spice. The aromatic profile reveals the classic Amarone character without becoming overly heavy, allowing fruit purity and complexity to remain in focus.

Mouthfeel
Full-bodied yet remarkably lively, the wine moves across the palate with impressive energy. Structured tannins and vibrant acidity provide a firm backbone, giving the wine lift and elegance. The texture is rich but polished, and the finish is long, layered, and persistent, suggesting a wine that will continue to evolve and climb with further aging.

Food Pairings
This Amarone pairs beautifully with slow-braised meats, roasted lamb, venison, and rich game dishes where its concentration and acidity complement savory depth. It also shines alongside aged cheeses such as Parmigiano Reggiano or Pecorino, where the wine’s structure and lingering finish enhance the richness of the pairing.

Verdict
A beautifully balanced Amarone that combines power with finesse. Structured, energetic, and elegant, it delivers both immediate pleasure and strong aging potential.

Did You Know?
The Sant’Urbano vineyard from which this wine takes its name is one of Speri’s historic crus in Valpolicella Classico and is considered among the estate’s most important sites for producing Amarone with both structure and longevity.

🍷 Personal Pick
An Amarone that truly danced across the palate, rich yet vibrant, with subtle dried fruit, marmalade, and compote supported by strong structure and acidity. Delicious now, but clearly a wine that still has room to climb.
— 4 months ago

Tom, Bob and 3 others liked this

Romano Dal Forno

Monte Lodoletta Amarone della Valpolicella Corvina Blend 2017

Despite a 17 pct alcohol level this wine is perfectly in balance. Blood sausage, long afterburn rather sweet. — 6 months ago

Andrew, Brecht and 1 other liked this

Ridge Vineyards

Estate Monte Bello Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon-Merlot Blend 2018

Excellent cab! Always great from Ridge, this one is full bodied, nicely aged (still has room to age more, but wonderful right now!, wish i had a couple more) — 7 months ago

Monte Bernardi

Sa'etta Chianti Classico Riserva Sangiovese Blend 2016

Beautifully made, fresh and highly drinkable but plenty of complexity — 8 months ago

Pooneet, Tom and 5 others liked this