Freddy R. Troya

9.8

Barón Balché – Balché Tres Merlot 2008
Valle de Guadalupe, Baja California 🇲🇽

Overview
A true expression of Baja California’s rising fine wine scene. Barón Balché is one of the region’s most iconic producers, and this 2008 Merlot from their Balché Tres series shows how beautifully Mexican wines can age. Crafted with meticulous care, this bottling balances Old World finesse with the sun-kissed fruit of the Valle de Guadalupe.

Aromas & Flavors
Exceptionally aromatic, ripe mulberries, dark blueberries, and plum compote. Layers of violet, dark chocolate, and a whisper of tobacco unfold with time in the glass, making this one of the most expressive wines of its kind.

Mouthfeel
Velvety, rich, and seamless. Medium-to-full body with silky tannins and a long, dark-fruited finish accented by subtle spice and mineral notes.

Food Pairings
Herb-crusted lamb chops, duck breast with berry reduction, mushroom ravioli, or aged Mexican cheeses like Cotija and Oaxaca añejo.

Verdict
One of the most aromatic Merlots you may encounter, lush, velvety, and layered with personality. A testament to the winemaking vision in Mexico’s Valle de Guadalupe.

Did You Know?
Valle de Guadalupe is often called “The Napa Valley of Mexico,” with over 90% of the country’s wine production coming from this small region. Its Mediterranean climate, moderated by Pacific breezes, allows for rich reds like Merlot to thrive while still maintaining elegance.

🍷 Personal Pick Highlight:
This wine stood out to me as one of the most aromatic and captivating Merlots I’ve tasted in recent times, memorable for its velvety texture and unique Baja soul. — 8 months ago

Carter Pelham

9.7

Shared with close friends - everyone’s first Monte Bello, and a great one at that.

Took this bottle out to share at a local fine dining establishment, to pour it blind for our friends. Wrapped neatly in foil. We get seated and explain to our waiter. “The bottle MAY be a little bit older so take care with the cork,” I said, not wanting to give away the age to our friends. He proceeds to break the cork about halfway down, right through. No big deal. He’s a younger guy and I think a little flustered, he goes off to get assistance.

Comes back with another server. As the guy walks back up, I say “Thanks for helping us with our mystery bottle”, clueing him in on the idea that there’s a reason that we have it wrapped in foil. “Would have been nice to know it was an older vintage wine,” he replied brusquely. Ok… Server 2 digs around for a bit with an ah-so before punching the cork into the drink. Oh well. None of us are really phased by this, it happens.

They grab a strainer from the bar. Server 2 starts pouring at a decanter and immediately the first glass or so just goes everywhere on the table. I start to die inside. He remains silent. Gets on target with the rest of the bottle, finishing pouring, and says “Your 2004 Ridge Cabernet”, purposefully ruining the blind tasting, I guess. Walks away without another word, leaving his mortified coworker to clean up his mess and apologize.

This actually happened. On to the wine:

Beautiful medium opacity ruby with no browning.

Smells like a Pauillac on the nose. Blackcurrants, blackberry, black licorice, slight graphite, and damp tobacco. As the night goes on it reveals dill, vanilla, buttered toast, and slight dry woodsy notes.

The wine is surprisingly light in body, very much a claret. The tannins are silky, finely woven, and extremely integrated. The main thing we notice on the palate is that the wine is so perfectly integrated it is a little difficult to pull individual notes out of it. Expansive over the palate without being weighty. The finish is forever.

A memorable evening. — 5 years ago

with Linh and Sarah

Shay A

9.5

WNH Montelena Estate virtual tasting. Others represented were the ‘94 (evidently corked), ‘01, ‘03, ‘07, ‘15.

I may be an outlier here, but Montelena is one of the few wineries where I not only don’t care for them young, I just honestly don’t enjoy them at all (and that’s coming from someone who enjoys the likes of Myriad, Bevan, Rivers Marie, etc on the young side). For my preference, they are just so vastly better with 15+yrs of age to them. YMMV.

After standing this upright for about two weeks, I gave this about a 45min decant. Starting off fairly thin and having some funk to blow off, it really bulked up after an hour and a half. Dark ruby/tawny in the glass. Reminiscent of left bank Bordeaux (leather, herbs de Provence, only a hint of tobacco), but a sweet cherry liqueur and dried cranberry on the nose bring this back to possibly New World. On the palate it sports underripe and dried black cherries, red clay, cedar, bay leaf, and earthy tertiary notes. Gripping, tannic finish with balanced acidity. In harmony here. I’d say this likely has another 3-5yrs in this beautiful drinking window before evolving more. — 5 years ago

Justin Hart

9.5

Wow! This pinot is amazing!! It can easily go 3-6 more years, if you care to age it. The oak profile is perfect, vanilla notes subtle and supportive of the cranberry and red currant of the wine. I will say that if you prefer Sonoma Pinot this may not be your bag, but I find the subtle flavor notes intoxicating. Yum! — 6 years ago

with Cherish and Jen

Chris England

9.3

😇 I looked up to the sky & the Purple Angel came down upon me filling my glass with light blocking purple ruby rain that oozed aromas of black & blue berries w/ thick chocolate, vanilla, dates, heavenly minerals & smokey oak - “drink this godly juice” she said in a booming voice🍷

I dared embrace the heavenly nectar & succumbed to a full on palate explosion of ripe dark concentrated blackcurrant/berry bathed in raspberry cocoa and minerals💥

My mouth was left open in awe as my purple stained teeth yielded to the long silky fruit loaded intense finish & I myself turned into a naughty purple devil - spank me angel, spank me 😈

🎵 “And through it all she offers me protection l, A lot of love and affection” you’re gonna be singing this all day now 🤣 “And down the waterfall wherever it may take me .. “

📍 Montes Purple Angel 2013

🏵 93 points

🍇 92% Carmenere & 8% Petit Verdot

💥 14.5% ABV

✅ For £32 this is a cracking wine 😍 some may say even Angelic 😁
— 7 years ago

James Forsyth

9.4

Our next bottle during our delicious dinner at Scampi is a 2004 Carignane from Santadi in Sardinia, which is utterly appropriate given we are in a Southern Italian restaurant. Santadi is a cooperative that has many of the best vineyard sites in Sardinia and takes meticulous care to make the best wines from those sites. Produttori del Barbaresco in Piedmont and CVNE in Rioja are two such peers in this regard, such is my understanding, which may be limited.

The Carignane del Sulcis Superiore Terre Brune from 2004 was a wonder with the cuisine. The wine is at once powerful with plums and cherries, and graceful with a lovely silky texture. This is reference point Sardinian quality. I'd like to try more. — 8 years ago

with Cara

Doug Powers

9.0

This shows some barnyard, horsey notes up front, likely Brett, but for more Brett-tolerant folks like me, it’s the lovely fresh redfruits underneath and crisp and lively acidity, together with the lingering finish, that make this a lovely CdP!! But I would note for those who are very Brett-intolerant, you may not care for it at all. — a year ago

with Jim

Neil Blaze

9.6

This may be something of a guilty pleasure for me, as it seems that I am going decidedly against the grain by loving this one so much. I don't care though; this wine is just so soft and silky with a bounty of dark fruit, spice, and a bit of smoke. Just terrific. 100% Baco Noir. 6/5/22. — 4 years ago

Patricia Schnitzer

9.2

May 30, 2021. Birthday weekend wine. Bought in a whim at Bordeaux blend special. Wow, did I get lucky. Full bodied. Black fruit, cocoa, leather. Beautiful integrated tannins. Lovely story, great wine. I need more of this. — 5 years ago

Lindsay Corrigan

8.9

“I am not drinking any f#<k*ng Merlot!”
OK go figure, easy drinking wine BUT has surprises. On swirl: rose petal red & thick legs. On nose: Strawberry field near the ocean in time converts to deep Raspberry with hints on baked crumble spices. On taste: Abundance of Strawberry then surprise! Tingling in mouth of cola characteristics followed by hints of oak, leather & ends satisfying length of chocolate syrup. This may sound like a teenager loose in the kitchen but it worked with savoury roast beef🍷 — 5 years ago

Andrew Schirmer

9.5

James Bond may have been right about many things, but he was never more wrong than when he proscribed serving champagne at or below 38° Fahrenheit; failure to do so being the equivalent of “listening to the Beatles without earmuffs.” This is a lovely champagne from a fabulously slutty vintage—chalky creaminess underpinned by zinging acidity & firm structure. With a little time and care—and without much coaxing, great sensual pleasure can be had—something I think even Bond would bend his rule for. — 5 years ago

with Alsu

Brett Vanderbrook

9.3

Back in May of 2014 Serge and Gaston Hochar came to New York City and led a tasting at my local wine store. I wasn’t familiar with their winery or family at the time, but I understood it was a big deal. At this tasting we got to try both red and white wines dating back to the 1970s. Serge was enigmatic and passionate, and it was one of the most unique wine experiences I’ve ever had. My girlfriend and I splurged and paid (at the time) the most we had ever spent on a bottle of wine for the 1999 flagship red. We had really liked the 1994, but it was beyond our price point, and we figured if we held onto the ‘99 for a few more years it might start to take on characteristics of the ‘94.

Tonight, almost 6 years later, while in week 3 of quarantine here in Brooklyn we decided it was time to get dressed up, make a fancy dinner and open that bottle. So we pan seared some duck breasts, oven roasted some asparagus, and made a celery root and potato purée.

In my brief experience with Serge, I learned he wasn’t much for tasting notes. He didn’t care to hear what the wine smelled or tasted like but more about the esoteric way it made you *feel.* So in honor of the late, great Serge Hochar I won’t tell you that the wine poured a translucent brick red or that its nose was an intoxicating perfume of red fruit, spices, leather, and barnyard. That it was still vibrant and bright on the palate with cherry and baking spice, and without even a whisper of tannins. Instead I’ll just tell you it made me feel not cooped up for a few hours. That I was actually sitting down in a restaurant and enjoying a meal and conversation with my partner, and not locked down for the foreseeable future. It made us feel normal again, at least for one meal. — 6 years ago

with Raina

Trent Fletcher

9.2

Over a 3.5 hour period on May 29, my wife and I (along with three kids in tow) had the pleasure of sitting down with Will Segui of Rivers-Marie and winemaker of his personal label William & Mary at the Mending Wall facilities in St. Helena to taste through seven wines from bottle. Will also graciously provided tastings of his 2016 and 2017 William & Mary varietals from barrel.

Deep, dark purple in color; nose is definitely Pinot, but one of darker and richer fruit; palate exhibits a dark fruit, with mostly blue but even some black fruits (maybe that's actually more cola); rich and intense, but not overly sweet or candied like some Cali Pinots (that I don't much care for); floral undertones; good representation of the vineyard; long finish; structured for aging; delicious — 8 years ago

Kyle Harvey

9.4

For me, and at this price point (may be a different story in the states) this is simply Etna at is best - you would never know it’s a natural wine because it’s not an emphasis or an excuse from the wine maker. Old vines of Alicante and Mascalese handled with care and love. Simply said this is drinking lapilli 🌋🍷#volcanicfunk @Delectable Wine this is SRC not SRV — 8 years ago

Jay Kline

9.4

If you’ve been following me on CT or Delectable for while, you’ve probably read some of my tasting notes on the Pinot Noirs from McHenry Vineyard. Few are aware that this special vineyard, way up on Bonny Doon Road, even exists. Fewer probably know that the McHenry family have been quietly producing wine from this vineyard for over 40 years. It has never been easy. Not only are the vines own-rooted, they have also had to deal with some devastating fires over the years. And yet, despite the challenges, the McHenry’s remain committed to growing Pinot Noir and making truly special wine.

As I have mentioned in the past the winery was destroyed by the CZU Lightening Complex Fire in August of 2020. The vines survived but no wine from the vineyard was made that year (obviously). While the winery gets rebuilt, the fruit from the McHenry Vineyard has been made with care by their neighbor, Ryan Beauregard. The McHenry’s are still making a lot of the decisions but they are working around the Beauregard’s schedule. 2021 represents the first year of this collaboration and the results are nothing short of incredible.

Popped and poured; consumed over the course of a week with the help of a “Repour” stopper. A little austere on Day 1 but it was obvious the quality was super high and unmistakably McHenry. As hilarious as this may read, this was best on Day 7. The 2021 Swan Clone pours very pretty ruby with medium viscosity and no staining of the tears. On the nose, the wine is developing with beguiling aromas of the tiniest forest strawberries, dark cherries, anise, some tomato leaf, some beets, a touch of clove, a mix of red and purple flowers, limestone minerals and some beautiful, soft baking spices. On the palate, the wine is dry with medium tannins and medium+ acid. Confirming the notes from the nose. The finish lasts forever and it’s got a lovely savory thing going on. This is a wow wine with a long, bright future ahead. You can drink now with patience but this will drink best after 2026 and probably be stunning through 2040. How will I keep my hands off my remaining bottles? Only 100 cases were produced.
— 2 years ago

Kevin Løk

9.1

Some may find it wasteful — others, baller — others, don’t care either way. Making Aperol spritzes with VC rosé, why not. Got to celebrate the journey and that’s what we are doing today in Mt. Airy, Phila, PA, year of our lord 2021. Cheers to the amazing @Caroline Graham for going all the way. — 5 years ago

with Caroline

Ellen Clifford

9.2

It may lead with VA and reduction but that animal energy—it’s a turn on, particularly once I braced myself and sipped and the acetaldehyde (bruised apples and hay anyone?) gave way to white peppered honeydew melon. Those tannins borne of skin contact hold you down in just the right way. It is kinetic. It is not elegant but brutally graceful in its irreverence. It cares not about you, but is so compelling you care not, you’re along for the ride. — 5 years ago

John Kane

9.2

Excellent Chardonnay from Italy- sans the tannins you may find in a Californian Chardonnay. In fact I prefer Chablis and don’t care for Californian Chardonnay but this is excellent - clean crisp, good grapefruit and lemon nuances — 6 years ago

Pooneet K

8.9

Not sure I’d had this grape before trying it in a tasting, quite a nice crisp Italian white. Lemon herbs on the nose. Medium minus body with a lot of acid on the finish, in a way that I love but some may not care for. — 6 years ago

Martin G Rivard

9.7

Absolutely, mind blowing good. This is THE gem that we discovered during the William Cole tasting. It Instantaneously grabbed all of our attention. It was that good. All of our necks snapped up quickly as we said unanimously “what’s the name of this gorgeous beast!”
It was by far Christine’s favorite & my favorite. I immediately asked if it was for sale since this is a new release from February and may have been sold out already. Limited supplies were available and I picked up a case. I’ll put this up against any Howell cab out there right now. this stuff is 150% legit greatness! It blew all of us away at the tasting. Thank you so much Emily for the corking this beauty for us to try! I know it was a special treat in we were extremely grateful for your generosity. @David L @Mike R @Ron R @Shawn R @Carl Fischer @Bill Bender @Eric LaMasters @Kirk Alexander @Howard Greenfield
No bullshit guys. You’ve got to look this up. This is a glorious example of phenomenal Howell Mountain fruit. Deep, dark brooding blue fruit which is what i adore!!! Front, mid and back palate are all in play and a finish which the energizer bunny would be proud of!!! 🙌👏👏👏🙌 Call Emily and she’ll take great care of you.@Emily Davies — 8 years ago

with Emily, Christine and 1 other