Peter Ernst

9.5

I would agree with the roses and cherries but this had a gentle smokiness that was delightful. Still nice acidity and good for more years. Cin cin — a year ago

Matt

9.1

Why not my favorite vintage so far, I feel this carries the warmth well. Rich and ripe without pushing the limits too much. The extra SY and MO components lend themselves well and this has some flash and darkness that bring a wild side to it all. Ive found some ‘17s to have significant brett but I think this balances well. Tannins are ripe but could use some more time to integrate a touch and soften their chew. Ripe black cherry compote, Chambord, roasted plums, animal, sweet spice and clovey layers of brett. 60 GR 20 SY 18 MO 2 CIN — 5 years ago

MaJ CappS

9.0

Really well balanced black fruits, subdued acids and little oak. You can tell this was made from a younger generation, wanting the wine to speak for itself without too much manipulation. Thanks to the friends who brought it from the vineyard in Italy,.
Cin Cin! — 5 years ago

Matt

9.1

Haven’t had any D’Aupilhac in a long time, a most pleasant reminder of how great this address is in the Languedoc for terroir driven wines. 30 MO 25 SY 25 CAR 10 CIN. Deep purple with gorgeous magenta accents, sun-drenched black cherry and berry fruit, blood orange, loaded with garrigue, baked stones across the palate. Reminiscent of fur and exotic spices. Young but very promising, tannins are powerful and suave, such great value here. I love the Mourvèdre backbone and muscles this has. Lip smacking! Day 3: still firing 😎 — 6 years ago

Walt M Britt

9.1

Excellent dry tasty and smooth. Toasted the arrival of my new granddaughter Winona Jo, and the tragic passing of her twin sister, Baby PJ. For that reason alone it will be one of my favorites. Cin-Cin! — a year ago

MaJ CappS

8.9

Unsure why the low scores..?
This is a lovely Amarone,
With a nose of barnyard, and graphite. With a licorice intro, Tobacco, black cherry, truffle, slate, rich, over-ripened prune.
Dense and dark with an immensely weighty mouthfeel.
Cin Cin!
— 5 years ago

Michael Meyer

9.0

Not to be confused with Rocca di Castagnoli. This is “cool-climate” Sangiovese if you will. Medium bodied with an amplification of secondary flavors like smoke and leather. Cheap enough that you’ll want to throw some in your wild boar ragu and drink the rest while you cook. Cin cin! — 5 years ago

Steve Anderson

9.0

NatDiego - 2018. San Diego represents. Unique Marsanne Cinsault blend. Nicely chilled on a warm day. — 6 years ago

Vanessa

9.1

Here’s a serious mountain wine that is LOVELY!! 🏔️🏔️

It offers a bouquet of vibrant, high-toned fruit qualities, such as grapefruit, mandarin orange peel, lemon zest, pear, just ripe white peach, and apricot, layered with white blossom, acacia, herbal, crushed stone, wet gravel, cheese rind, and delicate cream notes. 🤩🤩 It’s dry with a firm structure including medium(+) acidity and medium alcohol (13.5%).

It’s the Grosjean Frères, Vigne Rovettaz, Vallée d’Aoste AOC, Petite Arvine (2020).

The Grosjean Frères winery has been owned and operated by the Grosjean family since 1968. Today, it’s the father, his five sons, and their cousins, who collectively treasure their vineyards like precious heirlooms of the earth, meticulously tending to them, while employing certified organic farming practices.

These vineyards are located in the stunning Alpine region of the Vallée d’Aoste AOC in far northwest of Italy (north of Piedmont), sharing a border with both France (to the northwest) and Switzerland (to the northeast). 

For context, Mont Blanc (15,780 ft elevation) calls the Vallée d’Aoste its home…  please take me there!

Surrounded by this dramatic landscape, you’ll find the Rovettaz Vineyard, where Grosjean Frères grows its Petite Arvine grapes for this complex, textured wine that saw sur lie (with bâtonnage), and partial French oak, aging for 8 months prior to bottling.

Cin cin to this beauty! 🥂🥂 — 2 years ago

with Deked1

Matt

9.2

Lovely. A great example of well-done carbonic, great lift and punch but nothing overtaking the rest of the wine. Fresh, textural, invigorating with its dark fruit and earthy/herbal character. Crisp black and red fruits, garrigue, roasted herbs, baked earth. Just sings sun-drenched Mediterranean France. Also of note, this really seems to have the extraction dialed in, LBT a few years ago was a tad thin, this is spot on. 40 CAR 30 GR 30 CIN — 6 years ago