Sharon B

9.3

On a girls trip enjoying all the wine places. Very nice bubbly to match the cute place! The Bubble Bar St. Simon Island — 10 months ago

with Julie

Rebecca Burgess

8.9

Oh, Paco y Lola, how I have missed you. Moving from SF to PDX, I could not find you in any of the usual places and believed that, perhaps, Oregon didn’t permit you to be imported. But SURPRISE, here you are in rainbow Pride colors. You don’t quite live up to my memories (2020 wasn’t a good year for any of us) with a bit too much grapefruit pith, but still, you are lovely. Purchased at Zupans — 2 years ago

Jay Kline

9.2

This was presented to me double-blind at Tasting Group. The wine appeared deep ruby with a nearly opaque core. There’s slight staining of the tears and the viscosity appears medium+. On the nose the wine is intense. It’s slightly funky with an almost cheese rind sort of thing going on. There’s a combination of red and dark fruits with some purple flowers, dried tobacco leaf, something that sort of resembled pyrazines and a little bit of baking spices which suggests there’s some French barrique being used. On the palate, the wine is bone dry and fiercely tannic. Acid is medium ++. It’s definitely on the darker fruit side with some black berries and blue berries, black pepper and baking spices which all but confirms French barrique at this point. Long finish. I’m scratching my head with this one. It’s wild. Clean and fresh…but wild.

I could see this in a few places: Moulin-à-Vent is one possibility considering all the darker fruit and firm structure. However, I find some real Italian sensibilities to this wine. Despite the monumental structure, I cannot place this in northern Italy. Given the presence of French barrique, I could see this being a Cabernet Sauvignon-based Super Tuscan with a little Syrah and Sangiovese for good measure. So that was my call: 2015 Super Tuscan.

Wow…what a lovely surprise. I mistook the Rotundone for pyrazines (a recurring issue for me) which had me thinking Bordeaux varieties instead of Syrah. And to be fair, we don’t see a lot of Côte Rôtie at Tasting Group. This was my first time tasting the 2016 “La Chavaroche” and while it was a real treat (big thanks to the generous member of the group), it was also a reminder as to why I cellar my bottles of “La Chavaroche” for so long. This is a wee babe and frankly, pretty tough for me to love right now. That being said, the quality and character is unquestionable. I say give it until 2030+ and these will light up your right prefrontal cortex like a supernova.
— 2 years ago

Shay A

9.2

I debated giving this a NR for its rating as this tastes like a wine that is made to taste a certain way rather than a wine made to express its region, but there is a tasty factor in play. Bordeaux blend. Michel Rolland consulted on the winemaking. 2nd vintage.

This is real suave and sexy in style, but I could see this being from a multitude of places. Ripe and decadent fruit that seems to just now be calming down 13yrs later. Mostly red and black fruits (black cherry compote), and cherry vanilla pipe tobacco both aromatically and on the palate. Stops short of being hedonistic, but the mid palate is dense. Finish brings some currant and herbal flair to tie back to Italy. Tannic but not a monster.

Decanted an hour and finished the next day, it didn’t experience much change. I’d consume these in the next 3-5yrs. — 2 years ago

Jay Kline

9.1

This was presented to me at Tasting Group; double-blind. The wine appears a bright straw, nearing light golden color with a silvery, watery rim; medium+ viscosity. No signs of gas. On the nose, it reminds me of the lime tree we used to have in our backyard in Southern California. There’s also some lemon verbena, citrus blossom, and minerals…though hard to pinpoint what kind. On the palate, more of the same with lemon/lime citrus and minerals which are more chalky now. Acid is medium++. Long finish. I thought this leaned more towards its structure so I was in the Old World. Possible varieties being Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc, Chenin Blanc and Chardonnay with possibly places of origin being Germany or France. I was leaning towards Rielsing but then I smelled my empty glass and there it was, the slightest touch of French oak. So I called 2018 Chablis 1er Cru, “Vaillons”. I’m not beating myself up too much for missing the vineyard 😜 — 2 years ago

Keith Crump

9.0

2005 in the best of places — 4 years ago

Andrew Schirmer

9.6

Mineral and no flab. Fabulous texture. Going places. — 2 years ago

with Lyle and Alsu

David Kline

9.6

2005. Portobello, loamy soil, blackberry, black cherry, violets, oyster shell, black peppercorn, grilled beef on the nose. Black and red currant, slight grapiness, cedar bark, pencil, black olive, wheat toast, fine tabac, clove, red cherry. Pointy in places, but really holding together in terms of age.


#2005bordeaux #léovillelascases #grandvindebordeaux #grandvindeléovilledemarquisdelascases #stjulien #stjulienmedoc #medoc #domainesdelon #appellationsaintjuliencontrolée #deuxièmecrus #leftbankbordeaux — 2 years ago

Scott@Mister A’s-San Diego

9.4

2018 vintage. Last had two months ago. Fattened up on the finish a bit; not nearly as lean as it was even in December 2021. Fleshy in all the right places and smoother than previously noted. Still a 9.4, just a different 9.4. — 2 years ago

Joachim Modlich

9.8

Just one of the best Tuscan wines. Cherry flower at ots best. Elegance and deep taste. From relatively young wine grape-wines. In an ideal scenario, drink it “on site” at the Castello. One of the nicest places to stay - restaurant as well as 5 rooms hotel. — 4 years ago