Complicated
Enderle & Moll
Muschelkalk Pinot Noir 2009
Masi Agricola Spa S. Ambrogio
Costasera Amarone della Valpolicella Classico Corvina Blend
The 2017 Amarone Classico Costasera is intense, with masses of dried black cherries and mocha complicated by spiced citrus rinds and a dusting of cocoa. This is a total pleasure on the palate, seamlessly silky and elegant with a spicy core of red fruits. The 2017 tapers off with tremendous length, staining the palate in youthful concentration yet remaining completely fresh. (Eric Guido, Vinous, March 2023) — 3 years ago
Château Gloria
Saint-Julien Red Bordeaux Blend 2017
Medium red. Aromatic red fruit, with floral and licorice influence on the nose. Palate is complicated nicely with grilled meat, and a hint of green bell pepper and white pepper. Nice weight. Relaxed tannins. Medium plus alcohol. Not overly complex, may improve some, but I wouldn't expect a huge change.
92+ points — 5 years ago
Luna Beberide
Bierzo Mencía 2018
Totally great sipper. Just complicated enough to be interesting while inexpensive enough to not bat an eye about opening anytime. Tom's of pepper, both bell and a little black, as well as clay. Bit of dark red fruit, not cloying, small tanin, no oak. Very pleasant when it's what you want. — 6 years ago
Louis Jadot
Domaine Gagey "Le Chapitre" Bourgogne Pinot Noir
Just opening and decanting now, sticking with Burgundy again tonight. As it happens we had another Jadot (Dom. Gagey) bottle in the cellar, thought the Ladoix blanc was the only one previously.
Nose of bright spring cherry, supermarket not farmers market, tinge of alcohol.
Palate is gravel-cherry, sweet, this started quite tannic but mellowed a bit in the decanter. Drinking quite nice for an everyday Pinot, not overly complicated, but enjoyable. I'd say this bottle could hold easily for 6 years past vintage.
A good pairing with burgers hot off the grill tonight. Burgers are an interesting meal at our house, cats seem to like the aroma, so if you're not watching, paws will be sneaking up on your plate from an adjacent chair. 😺😼😺😼
24hr Update: Acidity had mellowed, I enjoyed the wine a little more after 3-4 hours of air than today, but was a great pairing with grilled pork chops tonight. — 8 years ago
Domaine Marquis d'Angerville
Champans Volnay 1er Cru Pinot Noir
Deep red with ruby highlights, but Guillaume d'Angerville noted that this premier cru is typically softly extracted and light in color. Compelling, vibrant aromas of blueberry pastille, violet, licorice and spicecake. Incredibly primary and sweet, with its density leavened by harmonious acidity. Pliant dark berry flavors are complicated by hints of flowers and spices. This very pure wine has to be one of the most youthful 1999s I tasted this winter. Finishes with utterly suave tannins and outstanding length. This infant is just beginning to open and should enjoy a long plateau of maturity. D'Angerville described 1999 as "a magical vintage," noting that the yield here was at least 40 hectoliters per hectare. His father Jacques actually held back 4,000 bottles of wine in '99 but Guillaume has released most of these bottles by now to loyal clients of the domain. (Stephen Tanzer, Vinous, March 2018) — 8 years ago
Morgante
Nero D'Avola 2021
The 2021 Nero d'Avola is spicy in the glass, displaying a woodland-inspired blend of mentholated herbs, shaved pine, mandarin and crushed wild berries. This is pleasantly sweet upon entry, with cocoa-tinged red berry fruits complicated by hints of sage and an air of lavender. Staining and potent, the 2021 tapers off with dramatic length, leaving firming tannins and notes of licorice to linger on. (Eric Guido, Vinous, June 2024)
— 2 years ago
Domaine de la Charbonnière
Vacqueyras Red Rhône Blend 2020
Get the licorice right off the top and then that fades quick..then. Blackberries and some other dark fruit..great long subtle finish..licorice comes back with subtle spice..great medium to full body..nothing complicated going on but great value at this price — 2 years ago
Tenuta San Leonardo
San Leonardo Cabernet Sauvignon Blend 2016
Another year in bottle has added unexpected depths and dimension to the 2016 San Leonardo. It wafts up with an alluring bouquet of smoky black currant and plum skins, complicated by savory herbs, hints of white pepper and fresh tobacco. It's hard chiseled edges have formed into smooth contours now, velvety yet youthfully dense, washing mineral encased dark red and black berries across a core of brisk acidity as a combination of saline-minerals and grippy tannins add tension toward the close. This finishes incredibly long yet also structured, begging for time in the cellar, as hints of licorice and earth tones grumble under an air of inner violet florals. The potential within the 2016 San Leonardo is off the charts, yet it will require a good amount of time to come fully into focus. Bury your bottles deep. (Eric Guido, Vinous, June 2022)
— 4 years ago
Peirson Meyer
Russian River Valley Pinot Noir 2014
Lost my notes again.
We love this producer, but best drunk in its youth. Tannins and acid have all but left the building. Nice heady perfume, combines with sweetness and length, but has little to no structure. Red currants on the nose and palate. Complicated wood treatment adds the most interesting dimension. Get after this pinots now. — 6 years ago
Taken Wine Company
Complicated Sonoma Coast Chardonnay 2016
Bright, refreshing — 8 years ago
Château de Roquefort
Corail Côtes de Provence Grenache Rosé Blend 2016
It's officially Spring in New England, as witnessed by the 4-6" of snow still covering our property. 🤨
This means it's chimnea time again 🔥 and I've collected some snow into a sizeable mound to act as our outdoor chill station for hopefully the next 6 weeks or so 🤞.
Today's theme is wines we can drink slightly colder and still have some appreciating quality.
Light red fruits with a steely finish, nice acidity. Not overly complicated, but simple, quaff-able and easy on our budget at just over $10/bottle. This will be wonderful once the (real) warm weather arrives. — 8 years ago
Mastroberardino
Radici Taurasi Aglianico 2008
Not like anything else I tried before, very well balanced, but complicated at the same time. Tannins are strong, alcohol is good balanced , in general is nice, but unfamiliar. Blackberry, tobacco, figs, liquorices, smoke, oak, walnut . — 8 years ago
Ridge Vineyards
Monte Bello Vineyard Chardonnay
Delightfully complicated California Chard masquerading as a White Burgundy. French nose and French finish. Minerals, flint, stone and fruit—apple, pear, peach and nectarine, with an obvious but restrained layer of oak. Not overly fruity or oaky; no pineapple or butterscotch here. Paired well with the Seafood Tower, Swordfish and Black Cod at the Water Grill Santa Monica. This was a juvenile 2021 vintage, tasted in 2024. Eager to try this gem after another half decade. — 2 years ago
Kubota Manju
Junmai Daiginjo Sake
sake of Kaiseki dinner at Naza GiroGiro with willie. Last sake and said to be best. Less fruity but complex with a note of sharpness and a bite that went well with the complicated duck dish. — 2 years ago
Pago de los Capellanes
Tinto Crianza Ribera del Duero Tempranillo Blend 2017
Dark ruby coloration. On the nose, dark cherry, leather, and vanilla. On the palate, cherry, fruity, anise, vanilla, short finish, not complicated but relatively easy to drink and enjoyable table wine. Full bodied, stronger tannins, again, not much in the finish. Gets a tad bitter. B-21 $35. — 5 years ago
Livio Felluga
Terre Alte Collio White Blend 2015
Complex, more like a red wine in its complexity. Nose is so complicated that I can’t describe it, but something like beef fat combined with fruit. Too many flavors to describe. Truly a great wine,
Eat with a hearty and earthy meal. — 8 years ago
Domaine De La Grand'Cour (Jean-Louis Dutraive)
Cuvée Vieilles Vignes Brouilly Gamay 2016
Brilliant violet. Intense, mineral-accented red berry and cherry scents are complicated by suggestions of lavender and allspice. Sappy and precise on the palate, displaying bright, spicy lift and cut to the bitter cherry, raspberry and floral pastille flavors. Fleshes out and becomes sweeter on the finish, which shows superb, floral-driven tenacity and silky tannins that come in late. (Josh Raynolds, Vinous, March 2018) — 8 years ago
Pinotman /// Andreas
4 bottles within a week. Corks are in trouble they all seeped. Their top bottling in 2009 one barrel made / 60 year old vines / clone no idea? Still quite tannic. Needs 1 hour to open up before that flat/dull. Raspberries, tart cherry, red currant, chalky. Less complicated compared to 5 years ago some bottle variation. My strong advice - drink now (I re-corked 2 for 2029 for science). But honestly this is beyond its prime! OK gains significant elegance and pose after 2 hours of air. So yes still good but tough to figure out - and recommendation still the same drink up! May be folks luck out on the upside. — 4 months ago