Neil Valenzuela

9.4

What a wine! Deep purple color with a garnet rim. Aromas of boysenberry syrup, balsamic glaze and absinthe spices. Blackberry and Huckleberry on the palate, pepper and violets on the finish. 15.7 % ABV, so let it breathe.

🍇 63% Cabernet Sauvignon, 24% Petit Verdot, 13% Syrah. — a month ago

Dan Appenfeller

9.3

What on EARTH did I just drink at Webster’s in Chicago?? I knew I was in for something different when I saw a ‘93 Loire chenin, but I could scarcely have been more surprised. A wall-to-wall medium yellow belies the fact that these grapes were picked when I was in diapers, and so does the bolt-of-lightning acidity that greets every sip. That’s likely to thank for the longevity. On the nose and palate are a wild variety of unfamiliar tertiary flavors. Smelled like Skaket Beach at low tide and a bit like my parents’ basement … I suppose wet earth and mushrooms might be close enough. A sip reveals minerals and perceived salinity (maybe it’s just the beach associations) along with a kind of light bitterness that’s tough to describe. Maybe walnut skins or green almonds? Three ounces gave me more to think about than most things! — 3 years ago

Erik Longabardi

9.6

Searing. Paired with a bolt of lightning. Introspective to say the least. — 6 years ago

Neil Cornish

9.3

This review is for the Fourchaume. Incredibly precise and electric. A lime tinged lightening bolt in the glass, striking rock and exploding on the palate — 8 years ago

Tom Inners

9.5

Bombastic. Like licking a lightning bolt. It's got snap, it's got some crackle, and ohh boy there's pop. Better than lemonade. More thirst quenching than water. — 8 years ago

Kaitlin Ohlinger

9.8

Biscuit dough, lemon balm, sharp as a razor and streaks across your taste buds like a lightening bolt. #bowdown — 8 years ago

Erik Nordman

9.4

Another killer Lauer Riesling. These '15 Rieslings from Germany in general have been so consistently awesome thus far from what I've tasted. Intense, bracing, angular, and at the moment, a bit austere (albeit pleasantly so, in my opinion). Give this a bit of air, because it shows a little too much struck-match reduction right out of the gate, but it blows off relatively quickly. Also very young, definitely one to cellar for a bit here. Pours a pale to medium (-) intensity straw hue. Decently concentrated nose of a boatload of wet, crushed slate, petrol, slightly underripe nectarine, starfruit, and green apple, Parmigiano rind leesiness, shiso leaf, and a subtle jasmine green tea character that I think will likely emerge some more with a bit of time in bottle. On the palate, the nose is mirrored almost identically in terms of flavor and those dense layers of flavor ride an absolute lightning bolt of intense, high acid. Light to medium (-) body but with great oily leesy texture, medium (-), in-balance alcohol, and the wine finishes dry but I can tell there's some RS to balance what would otherwise be like, enamel-stripping acid. Definitely less than 10g/L though, I'd guess. Quite evolving and complex. Awesome. Give me some crispy pork belly and a glass of this and I will be happy. Definitely going to get another bottle to put away for a while. — 9 years ago

with Cassie

Ron R

9.6

I showed this wine some respect today. First I carefully decanted it, as I rarely do. The nose displayed spice box with cardamon, cloves and a hint of cedar. The palate was powerful and dense. Loads of mature blueberries and black fruits. Tannins are bolt upright. Acidity is perfectly poised. Finishes sweet and with texture. For a second wine, it’s a crime. Has another 5-10 years of runway ahead of it. This is a serious wine. — 2 years ago

with Anne-marie

Eric Urbani

9.0

Has potential but not ready yet…laying the rest down for a while. — 3 years ago

LM Segal

9.5

This was a mind-f**k. Blindfolded I would’ve said Syrah until lightness and a bolt of zesty acidity and fine minerality lifted the whole thing so that an 80 degree summer night felt somehow mitigated. Wow. Hard to describe. — 6 years ago

MaJ CappS

9.0

Inhale deeply, twigs and branches.
Light to medium body.
Classical forest, sweet cherry bark. Pomegranate, tart cherry, bacon fat, mint, bits of herb, and a lovely lightning bolt of acidity straight through the center of my tongue and lingering well into the next glass.
Central Otago Pinot. Yum.
This is what I want from a Pinot noir. — 8 years ago

Erik Nordman

9.3

Killer Chablis 1er Cru. An absolute lightning bolt of a wine, linear and acid-driven to be sure. Drinking awesome right now, the fruit is still quite primary but has obviously integrated a bit into the whole of the wine. Still has quite a life ahead of it tbh; I would have thought it was only a few years old rather than almost 8 if I hadn’t known beforehand. Bracing and mineral as you’d expect, with a great textural balance between cut and fleshiness.

- Color: bright, medium (-)/medium intensity straw-gold hue
- Nose: just-ripe starfruit, ripe green and yellow apple, an almost smoky crushed stone and chalk mineral character, lemon curd, oyster shell salinity, hard cheese rind leesiness, creme fraiche
- Palate: ripe green apple, ripe starfruit, lemon and grapefruit pulp, wet stone minerality and oyster shell salinity, hard cheese rind, creme fraiche
- Acid: high
- RS: bone dry
- Alcohol: medium/medium (+), not intrusive
- Body: medium (-) body; supple, oily texture from the sur lie elevage
— 8 years ago

with Cassie

Larry Wood

9.4

Ok ok.... it’s been a while! Maybe this is a holiday affair! I cheat on France when I’m away, shush, she’ll never know. I’m 40,000 feet/11k in meters high on Virgin Atlantic Wi-fi (this is clearly the future). ‘The Storey’
I bought two within the last two weeks. Bought and opened on recommendation (local wine shop in the village). The looks - label old skool European, 15%+ dark and stormy. I drank both bottles at two diffident occasions and felt the same emotion (bit 80’s I know)...... skiing in Whistler, snowy night with Mrs W. Kids sleeping and a plate of plastic North American cheese. Don’t be angry, I loved it. There are wines to be drunk in winter and there are cold wines. This one at room/blood temperature (27c/80f) with 40mins breathing time and it just floored us. I want to point out this wine is not a quick drink. I bolt red like blueberry/cranberry/black currant juice but it just wouldn’t be rushed. Smooth and I mean smooth. Salty, Carmel and Brandy/almonds....... No other description will describe. It’s just like maple syrup in consistency. It snowed outside but it shon in the glass. Second date: New Year’s Eve, -13 outside. 4 other people I didn’t really know on an impromptu dinner. We ate, drank and talked (I talked rubbish but I’ll never see them again) then it came time for the cheese board. The wine was too cold when we arrived. It was too cold for starter and mains but 3hrs in, opened and primed it was sit you down amazing (again). A NYE to remember. Don’t take it from me, ask the nobodies I’ll never see again. I thought maybe I’d/we’d just had a moment the time before but it’s that good (it really was). Don’t take my word for it, try it alone or with strangers but make sure you drink it slooooooooowly — 8 years ago

Jake Hajer

9.3

An intense elegant monster that needs lots of air. From the vineyard next to Beckstoffer, Los Piedras- heady with a bolt of iron mineral, black raspberry, red licorice. Savory. Complimentary color of brilliant dark garnet that looks like it would stain everything it touches. Classy and distinctive. — 2 years ago

Delectable Wine

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9.1

The 2023 Rosato is incredibly energetic like a horse waiting to bolt out of the starting gate. Ripe pineapple, pear and spiced citrus provide a foundation upon which the sparkling, lively acidity flutters. The balance here is admirable and nicely rounded and displays a lovely inner sweetness. This bottle could empty quickly. (Billy Norris, Vinous, May 2024)
— 2 years ago

Nikki Goddard, DWS

9.1

From 62-year-old vines; the only parcel of Aligoté in the Loire! Needs a bit of time to open up. After about 20 minutes, at a moderate temperature, it’s racy, vibrant, and electrifying, with a lightning bolt of lime-tinged acidity. Notes of white flowers, anise seed, yellow apple, and almond skin are tinged with crushed seashell minerality and a hint of bitter lime pith. Begs for seafood and/or light, fresh Japanese cuisine. — 4 years ago

Eleanor Westphalen

9.6

Beautiful wine. Silky, slightly smoky and easy to drink. So often you hear fruit forward, it is not. Fruit on the end makes it juicy and happy. 😎🍷🇺🇸 — 7 years ago

Isaac Pirolo

9.6

My second bottle in as many weeks of Egly-Ouriet’s Brut Tradition Grand Cru. Hands down my favorite under $100 Champagne.

Ultra pungent and what I can only describe as sultry stone fruit pastry. There’s an underlying layer of floral and mineral purity that’s both exotically gorgeous and subtlety confounding. The edges are tinged with ripe apple and Meyer lemon, and ride the lengthy finish on a bolt of acidity. Stunning. — 8 years ago

Michael Chelus

8.9

Apple, ripe grapefruit, pithy lemon, wet river rock and peach. Great structure with a bolt of electric acidity running throughout. — 8 years ago

Matt

9.3

Mouth watering acid, lengthy and deeply mineral. Straight lightening bolt down the palate. Classic chenin with more floral lift, slightly cool/sweet green note that brings a fresh aspect. Great purity of fruit. Out performs on so many levels. — 9 years ago