Sipping Fine Wine

9.4

Pale golden color, complex aging, 34% new French oak-15 months, 30% stainless-4 months; 18% in Foudre for 9 months; rest concrete egg for 14 months. Aromas of stone fruits, oak, nuts, floral and spice. On the palate flavors of peach and pear with honeysuckle, integrated toasty oak and nice citrus tang. Long finish, ending with a wet stone mineral character. Outstanding! Will age well! — a month ago

Vanessa

9.3

This is a stunning Garnatxa blend from Priorat (Catalonia), Spain!!

It’s comprised of mostly Garnatxa (Grenache), along with Syrah, and, to a lesser extent, Cabernet Sauvignon, sourced from three parcels in the sun-soaked village of Gratallops, where Daphne Glorian purchased her first vineyard – Clos Escales – back in 1989 when she founded Clos i Terraces. 🍇

In making this move, she joined equally passionate and pioneering winemakers Álvaro Palacios (L’Ermita) and René Barbier (Clos Mogador) in a rebirth of production practices in the region; as a group (with other similar-minded producers) they altered the trajectory of Priorat’s profile as a source of tip top quality wines rivaling the best on the world stage. 👏🏻

Priorat is one of only two regions carrying the “DOCa” / “DOQ” quality designation (the other is Rioja), subject to various stipulations including regular auditing by a tasting panel. ✅

This particular wine is “Laurel” which is Clos i Terraces’s second wine, next to Clos Erasmus, one of Priorat’s finest and most sought-after wines. Yet it tastes like a flagship wine in and of itself.🫶🏻🫶🏻

It is absolutely beautiful, with a medium ruby hue, medium (+) intensity of ripe and fresh strawberry, red cherry, red plum, violet, black licorice, fennel, clove, baking spice aromas and flavors. It’s dry, with medium(+) acidity, a medium(+) body, high alcohol (14% ABV), and medium tannins that are fine-grained. 😆

This wine vinified and aged in a combination of vessels, including, large oak vats, concrete tanks, second and third fill French oak barrels, and clay amphorae, lending to its texture and complexity.👌🏻👌🏻
— 5 months ago

"Odedi"

9.1

Light reddish in color with light intensity.

Really pretty nose, with nice elegance.

Light to medium in body with medium acidity.

Dry on the palate with nice complexity and mouthfeel.

Showing raspberries, cherries, red currants, light wood, spices, wild flowers, chocolates and tobacco.

Medium plus on the finish with round tannins and tangy raspberries.

This is a very tasty Barbaresco with some nice age to it. Elegant and rich. Complex with good structure.

This 8 year old Barbaresco is still young, and will continue to age nicely in the next 15 to 20 years. I had the 1998 not too long ago and it was so much better.

Easy drinking and good by itself or with food.

100% Nebbiolo grapes were aged for 5 years in Oak and Concrete tanks.

14% alcohol by volume.

91 points.

$80. — 2 months ago

Justin Martin

9.2

Honey and concrete. — 6 months ago

Garen Staglin

9.3

Elegant and lighter style. All concrete fermentation. — 9 months ago

Jay Kline

9.4

I’ve enjoyed the wines of Chateauneuf-du-Pape for almost 20 years and, along with a few DOCG’s in Italy, it’s one of the regions I have the most experience with. That being said, I’ve become very judicious with my buying over the last 5 years or so, concentrating on a small handful of producers that I’ve naturally gravitated towards. Domaine Charvin is one of those. No destemming, aged in concrete, no luxury cuvée, modest pricing. They’re just so old school and I just love it. The 2017 Charvin Rouge pours a deep garnet color with a near opaque core; medium+ viscosity with moderate staining of the tears. On the nose, it’s initially a bit reticent but changes dramatically with about 15min of air at which point it begins to really strut. First with bruised strawberries and whole fields of garrigue. With a little more coaxing, ripe brambles, spiced meat, and lavender join the party. On the palate, the wine is dry with medium+ tannins (which seem to build with air), medium acid and fairly high alcohol though it never felt like a hot mess. In fact, the wine is beautifully balanced with ample structure providing a foundation for the abundance of fruit: red and black brambly fruit, with Herb de Provence, espresso and a touch of leather and dark olive. The finish is long and satisfying. A lovely Charvin that should deliver in style well past 2030 — 2 years ago

Tom Barras

9.5

High toned but restrained floral and lemon/grapefruit aromas and flavors. Medium bodied, balanced. Dry, juicy; light, skin-contact, mouth coating finish. Overall, rather Classy and Elegant — 3 months ago

Sipping Fine Wine

9.0

Terre di San Leonardo is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon (50%), Merlot (40%), and Carmenere (10%), run by the Gonzaga family since its inception in 1724. Wine is fermented with ambient yeasts in concrete tanks and 20% is aged in French oak barrels. Ruby with aromas ripe red fruits and floral notes. On the palate flavors of rich plum and blackberry with herb, light spice and slight earthy notes. Medium+ finish, fine soft tannins, ending with fruit, floral and earthy mineral character. Tremendous value! — 5 months ago

Philip Patston

9.2

Superb with Lamb at Easter. — 8 months ago

Turd Ferguson

9.3

50:50 Grenache/Mourvedre. Whole cluster, neutral oak and concrete. Juicy and elegant. Sneaky fine tannins. 13.5%. Winner. — 10 months ago