Freddy R. Troya

9.5

Sant’Urbano, Amarone della Valpolicella Classico 2020, Veneto, Italy 🇮🇹

Overview
Produced by Speri in the historic hills of Valpolicella Classico, the Sant’Urbano Amarone is one of the estate’s flagship wines and a benchmark expression of the style. Crafted from the traditional Amarone blend, primarily Corvina, Corvinone, and Rondinella, the grapes undergo the classic appassimento drying process for several months before fermentation, concentrating flavors and structure. The 2020 vintage shows remarkable balance between richness and freshness, delivering depth while maintaining precision and lift.

Aromas & Flavors
Subtle yet expressive layers of dried raisin, marmalade, and dark fruit compote emerge alongside notes of ripe cherry, fig, and delicate spice. The aromatic profile reveals the classic Amarone character without becoming overly heavy, allowing fruit purity and complexity to remain in focus.

Mouthfeel
Full-bodied yet remarkably lively, the wine moves across the palate with impressive energy. Structured tannins and vibrant acidity provide a firm backbone, giving the wine lift and elegance. The texture is rich but polished, and the finish is long, layered, and persistent, suggesting a wine that will continue to evolve and climb with further aging.

Food Pairings
This Amarone pairs beautifully with slow-braised meats, roasted lamb, venison, and rich game dishes where its concentration and acidity complement savory depth. It also shines alongside aged cheeses such as Parmigiano Reggiano or Pecorino, where the wine’s structure and lingering finish enhance the richness of the pairing.

Verdict
A beautifully balanced Amarone that combines power with finesse. Structured, energetic, and elegant, it delivers both immediate pleasure and strong aging potential.

Did You Know?
The Sant’Urbano vineyard from which this wine takes its name is one of Speri’s historic crus in Valpolicella Classico and is considered among the estate’s most important sites for producing Amarone with both structure and longevity.

🍷 Personal Pick
An Amarone that truly danced across the palate, rich yet vibrant, with subtle dried fruit, marmalade, and compote supported by strong structure and acidity. Delicious now, but clearly a wine that still has room to climb. — 4 months ago

Vanessa

9.3

“La Côte” of Domaine de la Côte is a DREAMY Pinot Noir from the Santa Rita Hills AVA of California’s Central Coast region.

Here pacific coastal breezes stretch inland and cool the sun-soaked vineyards. Domaine de la Côte has a collection of 6 vineyards on the western edge of Santa Rita Hills. On the back label you see a map of several of their vineyard blocks, including “La Côte” which is organically-farmed and nestled on a steep southeast-facing slope, where it absorbs the radiant sun during the growing season.

The grapes that went into this wine were harvested by hand, cluster-by-cluster, affording a gentler handling of the fruit with reduced risk of oxidation and microbial spoilage.

This wine was then fermented in a concrete vessel using 100% whole clusters (stems and all) thanks to the process of wild, ambient yeasts in the vineyard, winery, and on the skin of the berries…

The result is a positively perfumed and pristine berry-fruited profile with concentrated notes of black cherry, strawberry, raspberry, boysenberry, hibiscus, rosewater, cherry blossom, and anise balanced by a firm backbone of acidity and reserved alcoholic profile (13.1% ABV).

Following fermentation, this wine matured for 10 months in oak (30% new oak), lending delicate secondary notes of vanilla, clove, and cardamom.

The Domaine de la Côte “Bloom’s Field” was among the wines featured in the Somm 3 movie; it was blind tasted next to other French and California wines in a 2018 retake of the 1976 Judgement of Paris that culminated in a tasting of wines by a panel of luminaries of the wine world: Fred Dame, Jancis Robinson, and the late, great Steven Spurrier, who organized the Judgment of Paris back in 1976.

It is a captivating wine and has the structure to age, though we are loving it in its current state. It’s a delicious pairing with the herb-crusted salmon, roasted asparagus, and crème fraiche / chive mashed potatoes.

Cheers!

— 2 years ago

with Deked1

Vanessa

9.1

We’re pairing our Christmas brunch with a very special wine that we brought home from our recent trip to Champagne. 🍾🥂 🇫🇷

As we open this wine, we recall our visit to Hervieux-Dumez; a family-owned and -operated Champagne Grower/Producer, and member of the Club Trésors, located in the bucolic Premier Cru Village of Sacy. 💕 @champagne_hervieuxdumez

This particular wine is a ‘Special Club’, an indication of its quality and the purity of its terroir-expression. To receive this designation, the wine must come from an exceptional vintage and satisfy two blind tastings at different stages of the winemaking process: the first occurs when the wine is still, just prior to the second fermentation in bottle, and the second takes place after 3 years aging in bottle. 👏👏👏👏

This wine is a beautiful pale, gold hue. The mousse is fine and delicate. ✨ On the nose and palate, this wine offers primary notes of yellow apple, pear, lemon curd, and dried white blossom; also secondary notes of bread dough, yeast, brioche, and cream. 👍👍This wine is wonderfully balanced and refreshing; it presents dimension and complexity. It’s delicious.

Joyeux Noël to those celebrating today 🎄❄️ May your holiday be filled with warmth, peace, and many blessings. 🙏 — 5 years ago

with Deked1

Vanessa

9.1

I just love Fleurie wines – they’re gulpably delicious and versatile. Here we have a delightfully-perfumed and bright representation with Anne-Sophie DuBois, Les Cocottes, 2019, ABV 12.5%. 💕👏🍷

This wine is made with Gamay grapes and hails from the Beaujolais Cru appellation of Fleurie. 🇫🇷 The grapes used to produce this wine were farmed organically and grown on the famous pink granite slopes of this region, with a beneficial south-southwest orientation towards the sun ☀️, offering good exposure throughout the growing season, aiding in the ripening process.

This wine was vinified using the whole grape clusters 🍇 and was subject to ‘carbonic maceration’, where fermentation begins initially within the confines of the intact grapes under a blanket of carbon dioxide. This process is known to highlight the purity of fruit characteristics along with customary notes of bubblegum, cinnamon, banana, kirsch, among other expected characteristics.

👁 It’s medium purple with a delicate haze. 👃 On the nose it is light and perfumed with youthful notes of cherry blossom alongside cherry preserves, wild strawberry, kirsch, banana, nutmeg, balanced with mineral notes like wet slate. 👄 On the palate this wine is dry, it has a brighter, tarter flavor profile, with vibrant acidity, a light body, medium alcohol, light tannins, and good fruit concentration. It has a medium finish. 😍😍😍

We’re pairing this wine with tarragon chicken and caprese. 👌👌👌👌

@annesophiefleurie — 5 years ago

with Deked1

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.4

Follow up to the Clos Fourtet and to close out the Allen Brothers Ribcap.

The nose reveals, dark, ripe & slightly stewed fruits of; blackberries strawberries, black raspberries, black cherries, dry cranberries & blueberries. Steeped fruit tea, anise to black licorice, dark, fruit liqueur, dry crushed rocks, dry herbs, dry twigs, cinnamon, light nutmeg, clove and vanilla, leather, cedar, graphite, dry tobacco to cigar ash, dark spice, sweet tarriness, eucalyptus with candied mixed in with withering, dark florals & red, blue, purple flowers that are set in lavender.

The palate is, rich, ruby and round. The mouthfeel is glorious. This is a perfect window for a first bottle of the 08 Dunn Howell Mountain. The dusty tannins are round and about 50% resolved. This 04 has another 15-20 years of good drinking ahead of it...properly stored of course. Dark, ripe & slightly stewed fruits of; blackberries strawberries, black raspberries, black cherries, dry cranberries & blueberries. Steeped fruit tea, anise to black licorice, dark, fruit liqueur, dry crushed rocks, slightly, moist clay, dry herbs-sage, dry twigs, cinnamon, light nutmeg, clove and vanilla, lots of dark melted chocolate, mocha powder, leather, cedar, graphite, dry tobacco to cigar ash, dark spice, sweet tarriness, dry, dark earth, limestone minerals, slightly, moist clay, volcanics, eucalyptus with florals that are candied mixed in with withering. They are dark, red, purple, blue & violets that are set in lavender. The acidity is round and near perfection...Colorado rushing river like. The long, well knitted, balanced, elegant finish lasts minutes.

Just misses 95. It will be there in another 5-7 years and could stretch to 96 at its peak.

The advantage Howell Mountain has is it sits above the fog line (more sunlight hours) and benefits from cool nights giving it slightly longer vine fruit ripening & better acidity.

Photos of; the legend, Owner-Winemaker Randy Dunn, an aerial view of his Howell Mountain Vineyard, barrel room and landing pad to process fruit for fermentation. — 6 years ago

with Christina and James

Tim L

9.0

2017 Valpolicella Ripasso Superiore...young but still deep red berry flavor - Valpolicella, amazing value. A subtle, mild tannin and moderately intense flavored, smooth wine...an overall positive surprise, extremely nice wine. Yes, nice is not a "wine word" but this wine is nice, not brazen, not unctuous...just fine drinking wine for just drinking or with the red meats of Italy. Aging in barrels 8 months and the double fermentation of Valpolicella process is certain to be one key... — 7 years ago

Lunett/ Yosshi

Sake Specialist Hasegawa Sake Shop Tokyo

8.9

Nisiki type:basic unpasteurized/ Hara shuzo Co.Ltd./ Niigata prefecture, Japan/ Evolved Four-Stage Fermentation Process of Sake Yeast Starter — 5 months ago

Freddy R. Troya

9.5

Chateau Guiraud is mainly known for amazing Sauternes terroir-driven (botrytis-styled) wines, natural vineyards and very jealous preserving the genetic sources of its grape varieties.
This 2020 vintage was released to honor its 10th anniversary of being AB (“Agriculture Biologique”) certified, and also was a very good year for a great white wine.
An outstanding blend of Sauvignon blanc 70%, Sémillon 30%, with an unique vilification process; fermentation was for 3 weeks in barrels having previously been used for the vinification of its flagship Sauternes and underwent through MLF at 35%, and aging in barrels for 12 months.
The nose welcomes all baked tropical fruits and very distant hint of white flowers. As for tasting, a very rich and texturized white with gentle acidity and creamy lemon zest with an impressive silky mouthfeel, it also has a subtle astringency with undertones of delicacy towards the back-end of the palate.
This wine seats next to my most preferred complex, age-worthy whites as Gran Vin de Bordeaux. Salute! — a year ago

Frank Artale

9.2

Deep ruby going to garnet at this age. Can't see the stem standing over the glass. Nose surprisingly bright and new oak influence still being felt. While not a carbonic process you can feel the whole berry fermentation works well to great here. — 3 years ago

Vanessa

9.3

We absolutely love exploring the world’s many expressions of Pinot Noir!  It’s a lifelong endeavor and we’re here for it. 😆

Tonight, we’re taking a sensory trip to South America and, more specifically, Río Negro, Patagonia 🇦🇷 – the most southerly wine-producing region of Argentina – where Antarctic currents, winds descending from the Andes, & high latitudes offer cooling influences, ideal for producing elegant Pinot Noir styles.

Bodega Chacra was established in 2003 by Tuscan Piero Incisa della Rocchetta (grandson of Sassicaia’s founding father) in search of purity and nuance in fruit expression from the terroir of Patagonia. 🍇
 
Piero now partners with esteemed Burgundian winemaker (and friend) Jean-Marc Roulot in the production process, each contributing their respective oenological “genes” to the final wine, which is first and foremost a child of the earth in Mainqué, Río Negro. 🌱
 
Paying utmost respect to the land, Bodega Chacra cares for its vineyards organically and biodynamically aided, in part, by the arid, windy conditions that naturally mitigate fungal pressure in the vineyard. Their fruit is harvested by hand, allowing for selectivity and the use of whole bunches during fermentation. 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻

This wine is called ‘Cincuenta Y Cinco’ (fifty five) because its fruit comes from vines first planted in 1955, carefully preserved by the team at Bodega Chacra, whose oldest vines actually date back to 1932!

This wine was fermented in cement vats using native yeast, adapted to the environment and matured 11 months (50% in concrete, 50% in French oak of various ages) before release. ⚖️

In a word this wine is ethereal.
 
We served it with a slight chill. Its pristine, berry and cherry fruit profile, complements the delicate cherry blossom, peony 🌺 and baking spice notes. It’s light on its feet w/ medium alcohol (12% ABV) and bright acidity.  It’s lovely & perfumed.

Cheers to Bodega Chacra and all of the beautiful Pinots of Patagonia! — 3 years ago

with Deked1

Vanessa

9.0

Late brunch with these Bugey bubbles on a rainy Saturday afternoon was pretty fantastic. 👌🥂

This sparkling wine was made using the Méthode Traditionnelle which notably involves a second fermentation in the bottle and aging on the “lees” for at least 12 months. 🕰

In essence, “lees” are what remain in the fermentation vessel after the active yeast has consumed the sugar in the pre-fermented grape juice during the fermentation process; when they die they undergo a process called autolysis, which is responsible for releasing unique flavor/aromatic compounds and enhancing richness and complexity of the resulting wine. The more contact a wine has with the “lees” the greater the “lees” influence the resulting wine. 🤓

This wine comes from the cru of Montagnieu in the alpine appellation of Bugey within Savoie France, situated in the foothills of the Jura mountains. It is a blend of the Altesse (local), Mondeuse (local), and Chardonnay (international) grape varieties. 🇫🇷

I loved the complexity of aromas and flavors with notes of sweet herbs, watercress, a funkiness of cheese rind, also baked apple, pear, brioche, honeysuckle, peony, and toasted almond. 💕💕

This wine was smooth and dry on the palate with medium(+) acidity, a medium body, and medium alcohol. 👄

We paired it with an aged cheddar, chive, and arugula omelet and it was deliciously complementary.

Franck Peillot, Brut, NV, from Montagnieu, Bugey AOC, Savoie, France. ABV 12%. @franckpeillot
— 5 years ago

with Deked1

Vanessa

8.9

This Riesling hails from Alsace, France, 🇫🇷 more specifically, the Grand Cru vineyard of Osterberg on the softly sloping hillsides of Ribeauville.

The ‘Grand Cru’ designation attached to the vineyard site means, among other things, that the corresponding wine must be made exclusively from a noble variety in Alsace. 👑

Riesling is a noble variety along with Gewurztraminer, Muscat, and Pinot Gris. It is known for its powerful aromatics and wide range in sweetness levels. This is a dry representation with 13.5% ABV. While there are notable exceptions, generally speaking, the higher the alcohol (ABV %), the drier the wine will be, because it means more sugar from the grape has been converted to alcohol in the fermentation process instead of the sugar remaining in the resulting wine.

This wine stands up well to the flavors of the sushi and the high acidity cuts through the fatty fish oils and tempura. 🍱 🍣 The aromas include tart and crisp apple, pear, citrus, honeysuckle, and wet stone. A nice contrast and complement to the umami flavors of the meal.

I have come to learn that I love aromatic wines with sushi, such as Riesling and Sauvignon Blanc. Then again I also love Champagne, Chenin Blanc, and Chablis with sushi. And, of course, sake.

Domaine Andre Kientzler, Riesling, Osterberg, Alsace, Grand Cru, 2016, ABV 13.5%.

Cheers!
— 5 years ago

with Deked1

Leonard Huot

9.0

Low yield production that’s hard to come by. For anyone that’s visited laughing stock you can appreciate this wine with the unique process of fermentation. Vibrant aromas and deep rich color with a silky palate. Last bottle 😞 — 6 years ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.3

The red fruits shine. They are bright, fresh with nice florals. Blackberries, dark cherries, black plum, black raspberries, blueberries and poached strawberries. Dark chocolate, mocha, caramel, vanilla, clove, cinnamon, tobacco with ash, dark rich soils, berry cola, steeped fruit tea, red fruit liqueur notes with fresh & withering dark & red florals.

The body is full with powdery, dusty, meaty, tarry and sticky tannins. The fruits are ripe, delicious and easy to drink now but, will benefit from 6-8 more years in bottle. Blackberries, dark cherries, black plum, black raspberries, blueberries and poached strawberries. Dark chocolate, mocha, caramel, vanilla, clove, cinnamon, dark spice with a little heat, tobacco with ash, dark rich soils, berry cola, steeped fruit tea, red fruit liqueur notes with fresh & withering dark & red florals. The acidity is round and beautiful. The long finish is ripe, juicy, well balanced, delicious and persist nicely.

Photos of; Rustenberg’s hillside vines, our tasting lounge, fermentation cellar with hanging stainless tanks so they can work the process with gravity, and Rustenberg’s Cellar Door and grounds. — 7 years ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.0

Good but lean. Would expect more effort from this producer & vintage even w/ a Bourgogne. Not sure if it was from over cropping or something in the fermentation process. As I mentioned, lean and lacked the depth I would have expected. But at $38 a bottle in the wine shop of Compline, worth it. Two glasses on a wine list would likely cost you more. — a year ago

Freddy R. Troya

8.9

Typical California Chardonnay from the Russian River Valley, Sonoma. Buttery, creamy, vanilla-driven and oaky on the nose thanks to its fermentation and aging process for 12 months in French and American oak barrels.
Definitely shows expression of the Russian River Valley's distinctive climate that provides lime and tropical fruits with some camomile and other white flowers to most of Chard’s sourced from there. The savory notes mixed with ripen apricot and baked pineapple makes it really refreshing and interesting. A bit toasty to my preference, but appreciate its weight and intensity on the finish and general decent overall as a mouthfeel. — a year ago

Vanessa

9.3

This is the 2018 Marc Hébrart Brut ‘Special Club’ – a beautiful bottle of vintage bubbles hailing from a collection of premier and grand cru sites in the Marne and Montagne de Reims regions of Champagne, France.

When you see “Special Club” on the label of a bottle with this distinctive shape, you’re dealing with essentially a prestige cuvée of a grower-producer who’s a member of the “Club Trésors.”

Marc Hébrart joined the Club Trésors in 1985, which is an association of quality-minded grower-producers. Grower-producers operate differently than the big champagne houses (e.g., Veuve-Clicquot) in that they are smaller-scale vignerons who own the entire production process from the vineyard to the winery and cellar.

They have helped raise awareness and appreciation of artisanal champagne wines that speak to a sense of place and personality, unobscured by extensive, widespread blending.

To achieve the status of “Special Club” a wine must undergo a rigorous application process and meet minimum quality metrics culminating with in two blind tasting panels – the first tasting evaluates the base wine after the first fermentation; the second and final tasting occurs after a minimum of three years aging sur lie.

From our studies we’ve learned the 2018 vintage bore above-average fruit; the warm and dry summer paved the way for a riper expression in an otherwise marginal climate. This wine is made with 60% Pinot Noir and 40% Chardonnay.

The bouquet has a medium (+) intensity of yellow and green apple, lemon zest, white peach, gardenia, almond biscotti, nougat, pastry, biscuit, and toast notes. The palate is creamy with vibrant acidity, adding lift, a fine-beaded, persistent mousse and long, elegant finish.

— 2 years ago

with Deked1

Vanessa

9.4

Today we began with a visit to Billecart-Salmon, which has been family owned since 1818. They are 7 generations strong, producing between 2 and 2.5 million bottles per year. We received our informative tour from Jérôme Lafouge. 👏

He explained how Billecart-Salmon grows and manages many of the vines used to produce their wines; they also source grapes 🍇 from other growers, but otherwise own the production process from the pressing of the grapes on… the facilities are pristine and processes are executed meticulously.

Each wine is vinified by vineyard plot. A unique feature of Billecart-Salmon is its decision to have a slow, cool fermentation process for all of its wine - both those vinified in barrels and those in stainless steel tanks - a process that takes 6 weeks to complete.

Each winemaking decision is customized based upon the type and condition of the grapes, e.g., some undergo a malolactic fermentation (where tart malic acid is converted to soft, lactic acid) while others may not, some have a first fermentation in oak where as some are stainless steel, etc.

At the end of our tour we had the pleasure to taste a few beautiful wines (pictured here).

Our favorite was the 2002 Vintage Cuvée Nicolas François comprised of 60% Pinot Noir from Mareuil-Sur-Aÿ, Aÿ, Ambonnay, and Verzenay and 40% Chardonnay from Chouilly, Cramant, and Avize.

This wine was clearly developing lovely tertiary aromas. It also had great complexity retaining its primary and secondary notes. It was disgorged January of 2016, resting over a decade on the lees.

The aromas and palate had caramel, toffee, brioche, pie crust, toast, hazelnut, cream, melted butter, honey, ginger, candied lemon peel, quince, fig, and chamomile notes.

What an enjoyable experience and we loved meeting some new friends on the tour from Savannah, Georgia and Canada.

Santé mes amis 🥂🥂🥂 — 5 years ago

with Deked1

Vanessa

9.0

This wine has a pale lemon hue with a delicate mousse. 🥂 🍾

👃 On the nose, this wine has a medium intensity of bright and youthful aromas including primary notes of white peach, yellow apple, pear tart, lemon zest, white blossom, and wet stone; also secondary notes of yeast, pastry, brioche, and marcona almonds.

👄 On the palate this wine is dry (Brut), with crisp, medium(+) acidity, a light body, medium alcohol, and medium intensity of flavors consistent with the nose, but with a stronger citric focus. The finish is medium.

🤔 This wine has a high proportion of Chardonnay (40%) for a non-vintage (NV) Champagne; it also has Pinot Noir (35%) and Pinot Meunier (25%) 🍇 . It is delicate and light. This wine spent 3-4 years "on the lees." Aging "on the lees" or "sur lie" is a wine-making practice (legally mandated in Champagne!) leaving the wine in contact with dead yeast cells, a.k.a. yeast particles that were used up in the fermentation process. In Champagne, an NV wine must undergo a minimum of 15 months aging with at least 12 months "sur lie". Taittinger has exceeded these minimums, which undoubtedly contributed to the presence of yeasty, bready, doughy, toasty, pastry notes that typify Champagne. 😍😍

I love that this Champagne House remains owned and operated by the founding family (who also owns the beloved Domaine Carneros in California). 💕💕 Having a glass and you get a sense for the love and attention to quality, carrying on the family tradition of excellence, elegance, and finesse.

Did I mention @champagnetaittinger is now planting vines in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧, near a village (Chilham) in Kent? This English sparkling is expected to be on the market in 2023/2024.

Cheers to always innovating, but also staying true to your roots 🙌🙌 — 5 years ago

with Deked1

Douglas Braun

8.9

Nice Pilsner that opens conventionally and then has toasted bread flavors interesting — 7 years ago